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BUILD Health Challenge Announces Portland as one of 18 Awardees from Across the Nation

Community Collaborations Led by Local Non-Profits, Health Systems, and Local Health Departments Recognized as National Leaders in Promoting Health
June 19, 2015

(Portland, OR)-- Portland has been named one of 18 grantees from across the country to receive funds from the BUILD HealthChallenge, a national awards program that seeks to strengthen the relationship between health care systems, local health departments, and community-based organizations. Led by the Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI), Multnomah County Health Department and Providence Health & Services and supported by many East Portland community stakeholders, the initiative,BUILDing Health and Equity in East Portland, will work to reduce health inequities and social disparities in East Portland.

The BUILD Health Challenge awarded grants to 18 groundbreaking projects around the country that aim to improve health in low-income communities. The projects were recognized on the strengths of their BOLD, UPSTREAM, INTEGRATED, LOCAL, and DATA-DRIVEN approaches to address the social and environmental factors that have the greatest impact on health. The BUILD Health Challenge is designed to accelerate collaborative approaches to addressing the social and environmental determinants of health. Working in close partnership with the awardees, the BUILD Health Challenge will also be identifying and disseminating the most promising models of population health improvement to stimulate these kinds of initiatives in other communities.

The funding collaborative awarded both implementation and planning grants to support community-driven initiatives. Portland is one of eleven planning awardees to kick-start still-nascent projects addressing specific health challenges with a committed group of community partners.

“We are very excited to be selected to receive support from the BUILD Health Challenge, allowing us to work collaboratively with East Portland stakeholders to develop an innovative East Portland Community Health Improvement Plan that ensures all residents the opportunity to achieve the highest level of health,” said Liz Baxter, OPHI Executive Director.

Trisha Tillman, Director of Public Health at Multnomah County, noted, "Multnomah County Health Department is excited to expand and deepen our partnerships with diverse communities in East Portland.  The BUILD Health Challenge funding will bring resources to a community whose health and economic inequities have not gotten enough attention or investment.  Through this partnership we look forward to engaging with community members and mobilizing their leadership to develop and implement a plan of action for better health.”  

The BUILD Health Challenge was founded by The Advisory Board Company, the de Beaumont Foundation, the Colorado Health Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to encourage community partnerships among local non-profit organizations, hospitals and health systems, and health departments to improve the health and well-being of their residents.

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